In recent years, there has been increasing interest in microorganism detection in medical industry, food industry, agriculture industry, livestock industry, aquaculture industry, a water-treatment facility, and the like. Only small amounts of contaminating microorganisms existing in food, drugs, agricultural chemicals and the like can exert a significant influence on human health. Also, microorganism contamination in hospitals and senior care facilities has been recognized as a social problem. Furthermore, there has been increasing interest also in hygiene management in ordinary households as can be seen from the fact that various of antibacterial goods are distributed in the market and the demand for such goods are growing. For example, in food-processing plants, a bacteria test is performed by sampling the food to be shipped, and also performed in the environment within the plants. In this case, however, when measurements are made by a culture method, it takes about 24 to 48 hours to obtain results, which may cause an increase in the storage cost until the food is shipped. Therefore, a quick detection method is demanded. Also in the agricultural sector, for example, when the bacterial number in the culture solution for hydroponic culture is increased, the risk of developing a disease is increased. If the bacterial number can be grasped as early as possible, measures such as sterilization can be taken immediately. Therefore, a quick detection method is effective.
Under such circumstances, recently, there is a rapidly growing need for a technique for allowing easy detection of microorganism contamination. Furthermore, it is necessary in medical practice to immediately identify a disease germ causing an infectious disease. Accordingly, there is also a need for a technique by which a disease germ can be detected quickly with high sensitivity. Examples of a method of detecting/identifying microorganisms may include the ELISA method, the western blotting method and the like. According to these methods, for example, after antibodies (primary antibody) and proteins specific to microorganisms are subjected to an antigen-antibody reaction, labeled secondary antibodies are caused to further react with the antibodies (primary antibody), to monitor the chemiluminescence of the secondary antibodies and the hydrolysis reaction of ATP, thereby accomplishing detection.
Furthermore, PTD 1 discloses a method of detecting a microbially-derived anion molecule (ATP, amino acid and the like) by utilizing the electrochemical properties of the polymer having a molecular mold.